Espionage
by Gingercookiessnaps
Summary: Get in with the Demolition Boys? Was that even possible? When she met them, they were cooler than the iceberg that sank the Titanic. Her grandfather, Mr. Dickenson, wanted her to do the impossible. Though, Megan knew he trusted her to help him take down Boris, so she knew she had to try her best. Well, let's hope her best is good enough ... (Humor secondary for Megan's thoughts)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Even though I had, seemingly, just started _Shadow_, but I didn't like the way it was heading. While doing the dishes, I created a new plot. After getting the first chapter done for the 're-write' of _Shadow_, I will delete the story from my archive. I can write better than I have for that story, and I want to really dive deep into Megan's personality (especially since it really shows in _Wolf Woods_).

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – <strong>Mr. Dickenson's Decision

The airport was loud, and it was crowded. People pushed and shoved each other to get either their gates or out of the airport. Megan's predicament was the exact same; she was trying to leave Moscow's airport to meet her grandfather at Russia's BBA headquarters. The small town blader was invited to help him prepare the World Championships as his ragtag team, the Bladebreakers, traveled the world as a way to work their way to the championships. She brushed her dirty blonde hair from her eyes as they scanned the entrance to the airport; her grandfather had to make **life **difficult, didn't he? The 14 years old teenage girl placed a hand on her hip as she leaned against one of the pillars; he was going to find her. She wasn't exactly the tallest person in the airport. Hell, Megan barely stood 5'2". She played with the black dyed tips of her hair as she spiked the back as the spikes had gone flat from the long plane ride. When they weren't spiked, her hair stopped at the nape of her neck. Her bangs framed and hung over her face.

"Come on, Poppy," she mumbled. "I'm in freaking Moscow, Russia, and I'm up the creek without a paddle - go figure."

"Megan," a familiar voice called. "I finally found you in this crazy mess. Who would have thought Moscow would have been this busy with the championships coming up?"

"Yes, who would have thought?" the girl voiced as a smile formed on her pale face. "Hello, Poppy. It's about time."

Mr. Dickenson chuckled as he stood before his granddaughter leaning on his cane. She grabbed her black and dark blue duffel bag from the floor and swung it over her shoulder. Afterward, she grabbed the messenger bag/laptop bag and placed it over her shoulder to hang by the opposite hip. She pushed her purple, blue and black rim colored glasses up further on her nose. Mr. Dickenson watched her walk toward the entrance of the building before quietly chuckling to himself. Even though Mr. Dickenson was Japanese, his granddaughter was American as her mother had married an American when she went to visit the USA. Do to his job, he hardly got to visit them, but he was pleasantly surprised to see how much his granddaughter had grown. The last 14 years have done her good, and her choice in outfits was surprisingly modest seeing as his own daughter didn't dress as such at her age. Black, stylish snow boots covered her feet. Faux fur covered the top with two tassel balls falling to the sides. Her faded blue jeans were tucked into the boots. She had a black, all-weather jacket over top of the rest of her outfit. He had noticed the bey holder on her thigh, so he definitely knew she was still into bey battling.

"You coming, Poppy?" she asked, her head turned to him.

"Oh yes, dear. A limo is waiting for us just outside the doors."

The teen nodded as she walked toward the limo. After a minute, her grandfather joined her after giving the driver directions. The girl looked around at the inside of the limo. Her grandfather may have been the director of the BBA, but her mother never used his help in things; therefore, she had never rode in a limo before. It was even better the other side of a Starburst rainbow. Her lips twitched as she thought about that last thought. Boy, she could go for some Starbursts.

"Why'd you ask me to help you, Poppy?"

"Well, your mother had e-mailed me a few weeks ago mentioning that she was worried about you. Her e-mail stated that you never went anywhere but school. It had me worried, so I suggested to her that you could help me plan the Championships. I reasoned that you'd potentially get out and see the world, but I placed in there that you were good at planning things."

"You're a sly, sly man," Megan commented laughing.

"That may be," he said while twirling his mustache, "but you'll be in Moscow staying alone with planned meeting scheduled with the commissioner of the Championships."

The girl's head snapped to her grandfather as she stared at him with wide eyes; she definitely wasn't told this piece of information. Her mind reeled with the aspect of staying in Russia by herself for the next few weeks.

"B-But," she stuttered.

"I have something important for you to do, dear," he said. "I knew I could trust you with this task."

/

The limo stopped at a place that made Megan's skin crawl. Mr. Dickenson had explained it was a beyblade training abbey, and the commissioner was the head honcho. The girl visibly shivered as she ran her hands over her arms. The place was creepy. She followed her grandfather as they made it past the gates. She blinked as she noticed a group of boys practicing their launching for beyblade. Wasn't it _just _a game?

"Megan, I'd like you to meet Boris Balkov," Mr. Dickenson introduced. "Boris, this is my granddaughter. I have invited her to help us plan. She'll also be my runner between you and me during the next few weeks."

The short girl looked up at the purple haired man before her. He was - he was creepy … creepy to an extreme. Boris Balkov **really **made her skin crawl. It felt as if tiny scarabs were running underneath her skin - she really had to stop watching _The Mummy_. But, it was an excellent movie, and she couldn't get enough of it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss."

Ugh, his voice is even creepy. She smiled softly at him before holding out her hand. The Abbey ruler ignored her hand as he started walking toward the doors of the Abbey. She drug her feet through the snow as she followed her grandfather into the creepy building. In fact, Megan thought Dracula was going to attack … until she remembered Dracula lived in Transylvania nowhere _near _Russia. Boris pushed open a pair of double doors before he stepped into a comfortable looking conference room. How much money did his guy place into this training facility? The girl lifted her head to stare into ice blue eyes. She meant that literally as well. Those eyes had to be made of ice.

"Ah, the Demolition Boys are with you today, Boris?" her grandfather's question broke her thoughts.

No way. _No way_. The World Champion team was sitting before her? A small 'eep' escape her throat as she hid behind the man that was about as tall as her. She picked her head around him to catch the smallest of smirks making its way onto Boris' face from watching her reaction. Dude, you need a different hobby.

"Megan, I suppose I should introduce you to my team," he said. "I'd like you to meet Ian."

A boy, with the biggest nose she's ever seen, nodded to her as he sat in his seat. Well, she wasn't the shortest in the room anymore. The thought caused her to giggle; it had caused Ian to frown at her sudden outburst of amuse.

"Spencer."

The tallest in the room didn't do much as he sat at the table. Boy, they weren't very friendly, were they?

"Bryan."

The same happened with the second tallest of the group. Only, he gave an acute nod before taking his place. Lavender hair and eyes? She quirked an eyebrow for a second before heaving a sigh. Was none of them going to talk?

"And, finally, I'd like to introduce the captain of the team, Tala."

Oooooh, those eyes belonged to Tala. Okay, got 'cha. He glared at her from his spot in the room, and she shivered. She didn't do anything … why the hell was he glaring at her?! The girl resisted the urge to flail her arms around in the room as she snapped at him. Ugh, ruuude. She closed her eyes and huffed as soon as he took his seat. If none of them wanted to be friendly, then she wasn't going to be friendly to them either. She heard her grandfather chuckle to the side of her, and she let a slight glare slip at him. He didn't seem fazed as he took his seat. Megan placed her duffel bag and laptop bag on the ground between her feet as she took a seat beside him.

"Boys, Boris already stated her name, but I shall introduce her," began Mr. Dickenson.

"It's fine, Poppy," she grumbled darkly. "I can introduce myself. My name's Megan Kirson, and I'm the BBA director's granddaughter."

"Well, Boris, let's get down to business."

To defeat the Huns … or possibly the boys glaring at me from across the table. The girl flipped the hood of her hoodie over her head before sliding down in her seat. She hated life at the moment, and she had always thought life liked her. She wanted out of her relationship with life for a while until they made up with each other. She growled to herself as she listened to the beginning plans of the World Championships.

/

"Of course I'll stay in Moscow for a few weeks … _by myself_," spat Megan as she placed clothes in the hotel drawers. "I didn't agree to this."

As soon as she was finished, the girl grabbed her laptop and turned it on. It made a beeping sound to indicate it was starting for her. She gave a sigh of relief afraid that the massive cold of Russia would damage it. After it finished, her AIM icon flashed to indicate somebody had messaged her. She clicked it to make the message appear on her screen.

StudiousGirlx: Did u get to Russia?

The girl let out another sigh as she closed out of the message. She didn't want to talk to her cousin at the moment. Frankly, she was annoyed with her. The girl was miss perfect, and she could do no wrong. On the other hand, Megan worked for her good grades, and nobody recognizes her for it. She grabbed a black bey out of her duffel bag as she moved the laptop onto the bed. She flopped onto her back as she raised it in the air. The bit-chip gleamed as the lamp's light hit it. A black furred wolf stood, regal, on it. Blood red eyes seemed to gleam as Megan rolled to her side and clenched it to her chest.

**At least I have you … Shadow.**

/

"Again! All of you will keep doing this same routine until you get it right!" shouted Boris. "I have no room for error in this championship!"

"Yes sir!" the team replied in mechanical sounding voices.

The four beys in the dish rammed into each other as they tried to overpower one another. The grey blade overpowered the other three soon enough. Tala smirked as he watched Wolborg spin confidently in the center of the dish.

"Tala, call out your beast. We need to check its power levels."

"Understood," he said as Wolborg raised from its holder.

The ice wolf gave a howl that was heard throughout the Abbey. The creature stared at his master with light blue eyes. Wolborg almost had a sad look in his eyes; he obeyed this human, but he worried for him. His ears flickered as his head snapped to a shadowed part of the room. Blood red eyes were watching them in the training room. None of the others seemed to notice. The wolf curled back his upper lip as he let out a snarl. In response, the eyes gave back a growl in return.

"What caught your dumb mutt's attention?" asked Boris.

Tala checked the spot that Wolborg had been staring at and shrugged. Nothing was in the corner of the room. He called his bey back to his hand as Wolborg disappeared. The boy gave a look into the corner once more before walking from the room with the others following him. Wolborg definitely saw something, but he didn't know what the beast saw … wasn't like he couldn't tell him …

/

"_Megan, I believe that Boris is conducting illegal experiments within the Abbey. These experiments have to do something with bit-beasts." _

_The girl's head snapped to look at her grandfather with a horrified expression. They were doing what with _what_? Her grandfather gave her a serious expression before he continued. _

"_Not only do I want you to convey the plans for the Championships with me that you hear from Boris, but I want you to keep an eye on them." _

"_How do you want me to do that?" she grumbled. _

"_Get in with the Demolition Boys," her grandfather suggested._

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><p><strong>AN: **Well, the beginning of the 're-write' which really isn't much of a re-write as it an entirely new plot. But, does it sound better this way?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – **First Meeting (A Battle)

Megan twirled her finger in her hair as she walked toward the Abbey for the first meeting to plan the Championships. It was a lot warmer out her second day in Moscow, so she wasn't as heavily dressed. Instead of the all-weather jacket, she had a dark blue, fleece, zip-up vest over a white long-sleeved shirt. Her boots and jeans were the same. The white bey holder around her thigh was clearly seen as the launcher holder around her waist was in the same visibility. She walked through the streets with her laptop, messenger bag thrown across her shoulder. She carried her laptop everywhere; it was the same with her bey Shade Ookami as well. The girl listened to the crunch of snow as she made her way toward Balkov Abbey. The guards at the gate nodded to her as she was easily moved through them. They obviously wanted to make a good impression.

"Good morning," she told them while tipping an invisible hat. "Hope you have a wonderful day."

They were the Russian version of the English guards that never moved for anything. Her smile turned to a frown as she continued walking to her destination. The doors opened for her as she grew near to them. Oh, this was curious. They were going all out if they had the doors opening like the parting of the Red Sea - just for her. Her curiosity and suspicion spiked as she stepped into the room. A spotlight lit up a dish in the center of the room. Megan licked her dry lips as she stared at it. Why was the meeting in a bey battle training room? Yeah, she paid attention - on occasion.

"Welcome, Ms. Kirson," Boris' voice floated through the room. "The other day I noticed you wore a bey holder."

"Strategic place. Catches all the pervs, Boris."

"And witty too," he said, cackling. "Well, I thought I'd set up a battle for our first meeting. You know … to gauge if you're really up to planning the World Championships. I can't let one slip up in planning cause a disturbance for my team's win."

He has an extremely big ego. The girl closed her eyes as she rubbed the bridge of her nose; today was definitely not her day. She had smashed her alarm clock when she had woken up from her dream. She had slipped in the shower after smashing said alarm clock, and, now, Boris wanted her to battle one of his mindless stooges - wait, no, students - one of his mindless students. Lady Luck was definitely on her side today … that was sarcasm ladies and germs.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Would you like the answer?"

"I'll take it as a no."

"You catch on quick, girl."

"Shut up and give me my opponent," she napped as she snapped her bey into place. "I don't want to spend all day here, _Boris_."

She said his name with venom leaking from her very core; she hated this man, and she only met him once. Then again, Shadow was also antsy about him as well. She could feel the bit-beast's distress about him. Well, from what her grandfather told her, she had all rights to feel in distress about him.

"Fine. If you're in such a rush, I'll let you battle Ian. I'm sure he'll be more than enough for you."

Wait … what? He was going to have her battle one of the Demolition Boys. The psychopath can't be serious. She was not near the level of Ian, and she heard he was the weakest on the team. The teen cursed her ever going good luck as the long-nosed boy stepped out of the shadows. Wait, he was in the room? Boris planned this from the start. She snarled at him as a sharp canine appeared over her bottom lip. The snarl had sounded almost feral. The two of them glared at each other across the dish.

"So, let's get down to business," the shrimp spoke. Hey, she could officially call somebody a shrimp. Oh, happy days!

"To defeat the runt," she sang, grinning. Yes, word play on one of her favorite movies. Boy, this day just kept getting better and better.

"Begin," snapped Boris.

"Let it rip!" both yelled as they released their beys into the dish.

Wyborg, the purple bey, spun in the center of the dish while Shade Ookami circled around it. Megan watched the dish carefully as she noticed that Ian was waiting for her to make a move. The girl bit her lip as she decided if she should attack first or not. Oh, the hell with it.

"Shadow, attack!"

The black bey made a sharp turn as it headed toward Wyborg. Ian smirked as Wyborg moved in a slithering action to dodge the attacking bey. The bey moved like a snake around the dish. Megan gave a hiss as she realized that the bey _moved _that way. It was hard for Shade Ookami to make a hit.

"Undisciplined, dear Megan," taunted Boris. "If you were, you could possibly be able to catch Wyborg."

"Shut up!" she growled. "I don't play **your **way, Boris. Besides, I taught myself how to beyblade …"

She ordered Shadow to attack once again, but Ian kept dodging her attacks. She was getting fed up with this match. The girl didn't even know why she was being dragged into it. All she wanted to do was plan for the championships.

"I'm sick of this," she said. "Shadow!"

A black opaque light appeared as her bit-beast leapt from its bit-chip with a snarl. Her fur bristled as her red eyes gleamed. Her tail swung back and forth in a powerful motion. The beast had no form of armor on it. Shadow flicked her head back as she let out a high pitched, piercing howl. Wyborg, for a moment, hesitated to move around her before going back into his pacing routine.

"Okay, Ian. Now, let's see if I can catch you."

Shade Ookami flickered out of view to the naked eye. When her bit-beast's powers were used, the bey was extremely fast. Shadow was light, slim, cunning and swift on her feet. All of those attributes to the bit-beast made her one to be reckoned with when in a battle. Boris pressed a button in the control room as he started collecting data on Dickenson's granddaughter. He hadn't expected her to have a bit-beast … or one that looked extremely powerful if only in wits. Like blader, like beast, he thought while smirking. A clang was heard as a flash of light was seen. Megan's bey and connected to Wyborg. The crash had caused the purple bey to move make an inch.

"Ian!" snapped Boris. "Why is she moving your beyblade? Fix. It."

"Wyborg!"

A purple light shone from Ian's blade as a serpent like creature appeared before her. It was huge, and the thing could possibly shallow Shadow whole. Shadow looked at her user before she let out a whine to let her know that nothing was going to happen.

"Right," nodded Megan. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

The two beys clashed as Wyborg wrapped itself around the black wolf. Shadow didn't give in as she dug her claws into his scales and snapped her jaws around his throat. The snake let out a hiss as her jaws clamped harder. The beys beneath them struggled as sparks were given off from the confrontation. Eventually, Shade Ookami began to wobble as Shadow's pressure on Wyborg's throat began to loosen.

"Shadow!" gasped Megan. "Get out of his grip!"

With some extra energy, the wolf yanked herself from the snake's grip as her bey pulled away from the other one. The black bey wobbled dangerously as Shadow panted above it. Her tongue lay limp from her mouth as she tried to regain some strength. Meanwhile, Wyborg looked as if he didn't lose any strength as the snake slithered toward Shadow. The purple bey followed with a stable spin. Megan huffed along with her beast as she felt the energy drain. Looking at the oncoming snake, the girl bit her lip as she stood straight. Shade Ookami's wobble began to stabilize slightly.

"Finish Ian," Boris commended.

"Yes sir," he said. "Wyborg, Wy Crusher!"

The snake slithered in place over Shadow as the bey came rushing toward Shade Ookami at breakneck speed. Megan sucked in a breath as she stood her ground.

"Shadow, Dark Bringer!"

Shade Ookami was covered in opaque black as Shadow's eyes gleamed with the color. Soon enough, the wolf was set ablaze in it. She rushed toward the snake that was rushing toward her with its mouth agape. A burst of dark energy radiated off of Shade Ookami as Shadow smacked into Wyborg with her shoulder. A dust storm was kicked up as the beys bounced around the dish.

"Shadow!"

Ian smirked. Shade Ookami had been thrown into the air unspinning. It landed at Megan's feet before it fell apart. The girl hiccupped as she picked up the different pieces. Her eyes hardened as she stared at the shrimp before her. The girl was never going to forgive any of them for destroying her beyblade. None of them deserved friendship. Clapping was heard in the distance as Boris appeared with the other members of Ian's team. She gave that feral snarl as she caught sight of Boris. The girl went to grab him when a hand caught her wrist. She growled before swinging around to see the person that caught her. Hazel glared at unmoving blue.

"Let go of me, you prick!"

"Undisciplined and emotional," Boris' voice sounded next to her ear. "My, my, Miss Kirson, no wonder Shade Ookami fell to pieces during your defeat."

"You - You were playing with me," she hissed between her teeth. "I shall Wyborg after that struggle between the two beys. It was spinning so strong. You wanted to bait me into showing my strength."

"Clever girl," Boris commented.

Megan tried to attack him once again, but the grip on her wrist tightened causing her to wince. She whirled around to face her capturer -

"Let go of me!"

She slapped Tala, across the face, with her free hand. His grip loosened on her wrist as she caught him off guard. She took that opportunity to take her wrist from his touch. A painful, bright red mark appeared where she had smacked him. The boy didn't make a motion that told it hurt.

"Listen here, Boris. I'm not here to play some mind games. I'm here to help you plan this upcoming match! I am the runner for my grandfather as he's a very busy man! Do you understand that?!"

Megan ran from the Abbey and through the gates. Boris watched her leave before he glared at Ian. The short boy flinched.

"Why didn't you take her beast when she lost?" he growled.

"It - It," he stammered. "It fought against the pull. It resisted me. That wolf refused to leave its user as if it was attached to her."

"You need to become stronger then," hissed Boris. "Stronger to rip away bit-beasts from those they have a strong connection too, got that?"

"Yes sir," he said, saluting.

"I've spent years perfecting a beyblade to harness dark energy," growled Boris. "Then, she waltzes in with that fool Dickenson with a natural beast that stores that same energy in its small body - I want that bit-beast!"

He whirled around to face the team captain who was sporting the mark from her hit. Tala stood rigid as he stared at his boss.

"The next time you run into her, Tala," he said. "Battle her. Break her spirit. Crush her blade. Do what it takes to severe her connection to that beast!"

Tala gently touched the throbbing skin on his face as his eyes darkened, "Of course, Boris. She'll regret humiliating me."

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><p><strong>AN: **The violent one is Megan. Go figure … Anyway, Ian broke her beyblade after she was forced to battle him. Then, all that anger was released on poor Tala. Though, I suppose he isn't so poor - not to say he liked getting slapped though. Yeah, he's pissed off. Revenge!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – **Second Impressions

"Calm down, Megan," her grandfather's voice tried to comfort over the phone. "Sweetheart, relax. Everything is going to be okay."

"T-They b-broke it," she sobbed on her cell phone. "P-Poppy, t-they b-broke S-Shade O-Ookami."

"Meagan, I'm sure it can be fixed," he reasoned with her. "I'll send some spare parts to you. We'll fix her. Don't worry."

The girl wiped her tears with her hand. She caught sight of the bruise forming on her wrist from Tala's grip on it. The bruises were forming as finger spots. A choking sob escaped her throat as she broke down over the phone with her grandfather. Mr. Dickenson frowned as he listened to her sobs over the phone; if he thought Boris was possibly an evil man before, he definitely thought he was now.

"Listen, Megan," he said softly. "I'll mail some spare parts to you. You can fix your bey. I believe in you to fix it."

"O-Okay," she whispered. "T-Thanks, P-Poppy."

She flipped her phone shut as to hang up on her grandfather. The sobs continued as her body shook and shivered. The girl curled into a ball on the bed as she cried herself to sleep. The day had been a complete disaster, and she couldn't wait for a new day to being. Her eyes, filled with tears, stared at the bit-chip of Shadow on the dresses. She had placed it inside the picture frame of her family.

**At least - at least I still have you, Shadow.**

**/**

Tala stared at the mark on his face. It hadn't gone away after a few hours, and it was still stinging. He didn't think the girl hit his face _that _hard. They were in the conference room to have a team meeting for the upcoming matches. Boris wasn't in the room yet, so they had some time to kill. He placed the spoon on the table then wondered why a spoon was in the room in the first place. Was Boris planning on having lunch? Ian snickered to his left as his glare turned toward him.

"It looks like it hurt," laughed the shortest boy. "Damn, I didn't think she had that much power in such a tiny body."

"Shut it, Ian," the Wolborg user snapped. "She'll pay for doing it."

"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Bryan as he leaned his head on the table.

Tala smirked as his eyes darkened from the thought. "How else? Boris did say to break her spirit."

"You evil, evil boy," tutted Bryan. "No wonder you're the captain."

The doors opened as Boris walked through them. Bryan sat straight in his chair as the boss took his place in his chair. He looked at his team before stopping on Tala. The red mark hadn't disappeared, and the boy had pale skin.

"That looked like it hurt, Tala," he began.

Tala glared at him.

**/**

The few days after that fateful day, Megan refused to leave her room. She didn't want to be seen in such a state. Shade Ookami meant a lot to her, and somebody destroyed it in such an easy manner; she hated herself for it. She wasn't all that strong anyway. She knew that. The kids at school made fun of her, because she didn't win any of the tournaments that she joined. Her eyes darkened with tears. She stared at the picture of her family. Her mother had long, brown hair and hazel eyes. Her father was a red head and green eyes. She had four brothers. One brother was older than her and the other three were younger than her. She missed them something fierce, but she had a job to do for her grandfather. She wasn't going to let something such as Boris' mind games keep her from finishing it. Deciding her best course of action, the girl grabbed her coat to travel to the post office hoping the spare parts came in.

"It's snowing," she muttered.

It wasn't snowing hard, but it looked beautiful to her. Russia was a beautiful place with the snow and ice; she felt herself smiling. She was happy she went out to gather her spare parts. The thought made her frown. She wasn't Kenny from her grandfather's ragtag team; she didn't know how to fix a beyblade. Her boots crunched in the snow as she made her way to the post office. Luckily, the place wasn't very busy. She took a deep breath to stay calm and walked through the doors hoping her grandfather came through or her.

Snow lightly fell on Megan and the beyblade parts that rested on her lap. She fiddled with the parts to fix her beyblade. It wasn't working, and she was quickly getting frustrated about the whole thing. After a few more minutes, she threw the pieces in the snow in rage. This wasn't happening to her. She had a person at home that fixed her beyblade when it was broken. She wasn't a mechanic; she couldn't fix her beyblade - no matter how much she wanted to fix it. Her gaze dropped to the bit-chip in her lap. Shadow was safe. She didn't disappear forever. The girl covered her face with her hands as tears flowed down her cheeks. She hated feeling this way. She absolutely hated feeling this way. A pale hand picked the spare parts from the snow. Soon enough, they sat on the bench next to her.

"That's not going to help you fix it."

Megan's hands fell from her face as her gaze hardened at the other occupant on the bench. The red headed captain of the Demolition Boys was sitting next to her. He had the parts to her beyblade in his hands. She snarled as she snatched the parts from him. The girl fiddled with them as she tried to fix Shade Ookami. Her rage began to subside as the tears returned. Tala smirked as he watched her try to fix her bey and fail at trying. He snatched them from her hands. After a few minutes, he handed a complete beyblade to her. Megan looked at the black bey before she growled.

"What are you playing at, Tala?" she hissed. "First, your team mate destroys my bey, then you fix it!"

Tala crossed his legs as he stared at her. He never felt so much anger from such a tiny person before - not even Ian. It was amusing to him. Not that it showed on his face though. He started to speak in a calm manner, "Ian had a direct command from Boris to do as he did to your bey. We had nothing to do with it."

"Go to hell, iceberg," she snarled.

Tala's smirk returned as he heard her insult hurled toward him. She had called him a prick last time. The girl was too amusing. He'd definitely enjoy breaking her spirit, but he had to make her trust him first. Megan sat there playing with Shade Ookami ignoring all the while. She wasn't going to give in. She wasn't going to give in to curiosity. She wasn't going -

"Show me," she said, handing the beyblade to him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, caught by surprise.

"How did you fix, Shade Ookami?" she growled. "Show me."

Tala raised an eyebrow before taking the bey out of her hand. He watched her as he slowly took the thing apart. She didn't look at him as she watched the beyblade being disassembled. Her eyes shone with curiosity and the wanting to learn. The girl was on a rollercoaster, and her emotions went with every hill and drop. Her eyes flickered toward him when he had stopped after disassembling the beyblade.

"Well," she said. "Put it back together, and tell me how you do it. How'd you know the right part? What would it together?"

The Wolborg user shook his head as he began his lesson with the younger girl. She had become engrossed in the lesson, and, at the moment, she had forgotten what Tala's team had done to her bey. After a few minutes, Shade Ookami was reassembled and he tossed it on her lap. She blinked before placing the bit-chip in it. The chip glowed with that opaque black before settling into the new beyblade. Tala leaned his head on the bench as he continued to watch her.

"I didn't think somebody else had a wolf bit-beast," he spoke.

"Surprise, surprise," she muttered. "She's always been there for me."

So, she's gone back to her cold attitude toward him. He grinned. Well, if she had warmed up to him right away, it wouldn't have been fun. Megan stared at him before getting off the bench. She brushed the snow from her hair before pocketing Shade Ookami in her pocket. She hadn't warn her holder since she had nothing to hold in it. "Thanks," she muttered before walking back to the hotel.

**/**

Mr. Dickenson hung the phone on the receiver as he frowned at the latest development. Megan had told him Tala willingly showed her how to fix her beyblade. He caught a tone of gratefulness in her voice, but he let it slip by. She had Shade Ookami fixed. And, he had just sent the Bladebreakers on their journey across Europe. In a few days, the Championships will be held. The old man frowned as he leaned his chin on his hands. Everything was turning out to be very interesting. He hoped the girl would be able to find evidence in Balkov Abbey by playing it safe. But, his mouth twitched in slight anger, it seemed Boris had different plans if he was getting Tala to talk to her.

"Be careful, sweetheart," he mumbled. "If anything happens, call me right away."

The BBA director turned to his paperwork. He had to get it finished before the Championships started. His mind wasn't on the paperwork though.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay. Enough updates for one day. I'll write more chapters after this one, but I won't upload until tomorrow. Then, hopefully, I'll have enough chapters written that I'll be able to have a firm schedule with this story. A squeal is planned after this story is over. Not to mention, I have this stupid one-shot running through my head.

Maybe I'll write that next …


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – **Plans Revealed

"Let it rip!"

Shade Ookami raced around the dish after Megan released her. The beyblade was faster than ever, and she knew she had to thank Tala the next time she saw him. The thought made her blood run cold; she never thought she'd have to give Tala her thanks for anything. Then, suddenly, that cold blood was replaced with pure, unadulterated guilt. She had slapped him across the face when Boris pissed her off. It wasn't his fault; he was doing what he was told. Obviously, the Abbey boss knew she was going to attack him. And, the way he loosened his grip after she had hit him, the 14 years old girl knew he was extremely surprised about it. In fact, _she _was extremely surprised he wasn't holding it against her - at least, she thought he wasn't holding it against her. Why else would he fix Shade Ookami for her? Her bey wobbled before flying out of the dish then landing at her feet. Oops, she had lost concentration.

"Alright, Shadow. We have to actually go plan the Championships with Boris."

She pulled her coat closer to her as she lifted it over her nose. It had gotten decisively colder in Russia since her stay a week ago. When she looked at the temperature, it had nearly reached 2˚ F before stopping at 5˚ F. She rubbed her hands over her arms as she tried to jump start faster circulation. Damn it, she got cold extremely easy. She slept with three blankets plus the comforter in the hotel room at night. The weather was ridiculous, and it was only making her colder. Her boots crunched through the snow as she headed toward the Abbey. It gave her shivers that she knew the path to it by heart.

**/**

When she had gotten to the horrid place, the first thing her eyes caught was the bright red hair of the person that had fixed her bey the night before. His team and he were training in the outside dish. Weren't they cold? None of them were wearing coats. The thought caused here to shiver even more as she walked toward them. Bryan was the first to notice her as he recalled Falborg to his hand. The others soon followed as they realized a spectator had joined them. The dish had cracks throughout it, and she looked away from it. Once again, she was reminded of how strong this team truly was - well they were the World Championship team. It wasn't surprising.

"Aren't you cold?" she tossed out as she shivered. "It's nearly zero."

"It's been colder in Russia," commented Bryan as he leaned against a support beam. "Besides, we've been trained in this type of weather, or worse, since we were little. The weather doesn't bother us anymore."

"Good thing that being in the cold gets you sick is a myth," grumbled Megan. "Anyway, is Boris here? We have a scheduled meeting to plan the upcoming match. I don't wish to be here all day."

"Sorry," snarled Ian as he walked past her. "Boris had some urgent business to attend, so he won't be back until this afternoon. But, you are welcome to stay until then. He specifically told us to say that to you."

"Well, isn't that kind of him?" she snapped back with a sarcastic tone. "Listen shrimp, I'm don't have all day to spend here."

The small boy glared at her before giving her the middle finger. That feral snarl ripped from her throat as she went to attack him. An all too familiar grip tightened on her arm. She snarled at Tala as he glared at her. She ripped her arm from his grip, "Do you want me to hit you again?!" The question came in a hiss, and she knew it was the wrong question. His eyes darkened as he shoved her against a pillar. The girl let out a hiss of pain as she felt her back starting to bruise.

"Don't touch me!" she said as she shoved him away. She was surprisingly strong for somebody of her stature.

"Why am I having so much trouble trying to -?" The girl trailed off as she realized this was the perfect opportunity to explore the Abbey to its inner bowels. She straightened her aching back as she slightly limped over to Tala. The boy gave out a growl as he saw her nearing. She flinched slightly, but she managed to go near him.

"Fine, I'll stay," she spat. "Under the circumstances that neither of you babysit me. I don't like babysitters, and I don't like stalkers. Don't even try to follow me. Shadow will notice you before I will, and you won't like her then."

After her words were spoken, the girl limped her way toward the entrance to the abbey. The boys watched her walk away before Ian and Bryan grinned at each other. Oh, they weren't taking orders from some nobody girl. Tala sighed as he closed his eyes, "Don't. Let her go. She's not capable of getting into trouble. Besides, she's not going to find anything."

They paused before snapping their fingers. One could imagine them as Swiper the Fox going 'Oh man!' before running off. Spencer shrugged his shoulders as he walked toward his captain. Tala opened his eyes as he felt the whale bit-beast user approach him.

"Do you think it's a good idea for her to wander around alone?" he asked. "She could get lost then she'd find thing she shouldn't find."

"I don't really care," Tala spat. "My only problem with her is to get even. Besides, Boris wants her bit-beast. Why _not _crush her spirit while I'm at it?"

Spencer nodded to his words before following the other three. Tala looked at the area Megan had walked before following them. They had nothing to do with her now since they gave Boris' message to her.

**/**

She huffed against the wall as she walked through the tunnels. Her back was in agony, but she wasn't going to quit; she needed to know the plans of Boris Balkov when she only had this chance. The iceberg didn't have to shove her against stone so hard; she could feel the bruise as it took shape. How in hell was she going to explain _this _one to her grandfather? She wasn't, of course. Deep down, the girl knew the Demolition Boys weren't bad. They had been brainwashed by Boris to the point of they would listen to anything the psychopath told them. Who's to say that the only thing Tala has ever known was anger and violence to his outbursts and actions? The thought had her pausing as her eyes widened. If that was true, then Tala had been abused at this place. The others would have been abused as well. She collapsed against the wall panting. The pain in her back was horrible. She'd have to sit in the shadows to wait for it to dull; she couldn't walk in this pain. Voices were heard as she noticed a light coming from a doorway. She crawled to it before looking inside. She gasped.

"Oh God please help them."

Glass tubes filled with green gunk had living animals inside of them. The tubes were wired to beyblades. Boris was making his own artificial bit-beasts. He was taking the spirits - the souls out of these poor, defenseless creatures and turning them into mind numb spirit animals. She held back the growl that was forming within her throat. Boris Balkov was a true, undeniable monster. She let out a hiss of pain as a muscle spasm jolted violently through her back. Her eyes closed tight as she tried to imagine the pain away; it wasn't working in the slightest. Deciding her best course of action, the girl started toward the ground level of the abbey. Her back hurt too much to stay and wait for Boris. She'll reschedule with him later. Besides, she had to call her grandfather about her findings.

**/**

Megan laid on her stomach as she dialed her grandfather's number. Her back had a dull pain, but she refused to lay on it. It still hurt to touch. Yes, it was a huge bruise. Yes, it would take forever to heal. No, she didn't care. She was starting to think Tala acted the way he had because he was treated that way. Nobody was that cruel unless something cruel happened to them. Unless they were a psychopath, but she definitely knew he wasn't a psychopath.

"Hello," her grandfather's voice came over the phone. "Megan, what do you need?"

"Poppy, I found something disturbing while waiting for Boris for our meeting - which didn't happen by the way … he was gone, and I didn't want to stay there until the dead of night."

"Its fine, Megan. So, what'd you find out?"

"You're right, Poppy. I found a lab room with glass tubes that had living animals in them. Boris was taking their spirits, Poppy. He was - he was - he was making artificial bit-beasts."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **It's not as long as the other chapters, but it's an important chapter. Espionage isn't going to be all that long. It's usually 2,000+ words which is why it's not going to be a long chapter story. In fact, I believe 8 chapters would be tops. We're getting to the nitty gritty. Not to mention, Tala has to yet crush Megan's spirit. (Spoiler: He does, harshly.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – **Demolition Boys

The World Championships were drawing nearer, and Boris had successfully kept Mr. Dickenson's granddaughter out of the planning. In fact, the BBA director probably realized his plot already. So, why didn't he take Megan home? Tala moved his face from the window as he stared at the purple haired maniac sitting behind the desk. He had called Tala into his office for some unknown reason, and the redhead was getting antsy.

"Tala, how's everything going with getting that girl's bit-beast?"

He blinked before remembering he's asking about Megan and her bit-beast. He bowed before speaking, "Its going well, sir. I'm slowly learning her trust."

"Very good, Tala," Boris complimented, cackling. "Black Dranzer is the strongest bey, but knowing how that energy works using a natural beast will make it even stronger!"

An expression of annoyance crossed Tala's face for a nanosecond, but his boss didn't catch it. He saluted before leaving. As soon as the door closed, the boy let out a growl of annoyance. That man was absolutely obsessed with Black Dranzer. The worst part is his plan was to use _Kai _for his purposes. Yes, Kai not him - or the rest of his team. Boris didn't care about them; he would never care about them. The abuse when he was younger had made him realize it. All the training sessions which led him into the infirmary most nights. He clenched Wolborg in his hand before walking down the tunnel. He'll be the most powerful, and then Boris will see he made the wrong choice.

"So, what'd he want?" asked Bryan as he rummaged through the mini-fridge.

"Wanted to know how the plan was about capturing Pet's bit-beast," snarled his captain. "As if he doesn't trust me to complete."

"Pet?" asked Spencer as he placed his cards on the table. Ian and he were playing poker to pass the time.

"Pet names already, Tala?" snickered Ian.

Tala sneered at Ian before grabbing a bottle of water. The stupid name slipped out. The past few days of getting to know her had formed it. He ran a hand through is hair before slamming the door to his room. Bryan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the others. Their captain normally wasn't this angry at the world.

"Think Pet's the fault of his anger at the world," snickered Bryan.

He heard banging on Tala's door as he continued to snicker. Boy, he was having the time of his life. The girl must have been driving him up the wall.

**/**

Megan hummed as she walked around Moscow. The place was extremely beautiful, and she was happy she got to visit. Though, her mother had called and freaked out on her for being there - alone. How the hell her mother found out was beyond her? Then again, her mother also hated Beyblade. She heard little kids playing and laughing as they tried to release their beys into the dish. They kept missing. She smiled before deciding to help them.

"Hi. Can I help you by showing you an easier way to launch a beyblade?" she asked while holding out her own bey.

The children nodded excited that somebody was going to show them something. Megan grinned as she explained posture and position as she released Shade Ookami into the dish. She landed in the center perfectly. Soon enough, the one little boy wanted to try. He placed his bey in the launcher and tried to follow her instructions. Megan giggled as she moved his arms into the right position. He launched his bey and it hit the dish.

"Good job!" she cheered. Soon enough, she was helping the little girl launch properly as well. It was no hidden secret that the girl loved children. Honestly, she found Beyblade as a hobby rather than a career. She wanted to be a grade school teacher; her dream was to teach young children in a school setting. Her grin couldn't get any wider as she continued to teach them how to beyblade like the pros - as they kindly told her.

"You're good with kids," a familiar voice said.

"Tala!" she said spinning to face him. "What are you doing here? I never expected you to be at a 'oh how it's beneath you' bey park."

He fought the grin that was threatening to form on his face. In the past few days, she had become his 'friend', and it couldn't have been better. Though, the grin wasn't from his plan going perfectly. No, he was amused by her words. He was amused by actions. She _amused _him. It wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to amuse him; he was supposed to be angry at her. His gaze snapped to the children as they coward in his presence. All of Russia knew about the Demolition Boys. Megan frowned as she let them hide their faces in her coat.

"Ah, come on," she said. "Tala's bark is far worse than his bite."

That twitch of a smile came back.

"Besides, he's a lot nicer than he appears. He just likes being colder than the iceberg that sank the Titanic."

The children giggled at her words. He 'tched' before leaning against the tree to watch them. Megan played with them as they abandoned the art of Beyblade to build a snowman. She helped them place the top two tiers of the snowman on the bottom one. They found some sticks for the arms and pinecones for the eyes. Megan drew the smile with her finger before shivering from the cold. The snowman was built, and they couldn't be any prouder of it.

**/**

"You're such a child," grunted Tala as he sat next to her on the bench.

"Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional," she said. The children had left when they're mother called them. She waved bye as they ran toward the woman to give her a hug.

"Stupid."

"Yeah, well, you're stupid," she said.

"Can't be stupider than you, Pet. I can put a bey back together."

"Ugh," she said, leaning against him. "Shut up, Iceberg."

Tala tensed when she leaned against him. It was a first for him of her every doing something like it. Though, when her hand accidently brushed against his, he took it back in shock. She always joked how she got cold easily, but her skin was ice cold. She sucked it up to be outdoors in Russia. Somehow, he found some new found respect for her - wait a minute - he wasn't supposed to get close to her. He was supposed to act to let her trust him. Why the hell does he have respect for her?

"Sorry," she said. "My hands get rather cold when I'm in this weather. It doesn't bother me; I'm used to it. They get like this even in Pennsylvania."

"And you don't wear gloves?"

"I can't launch a bey with gloves, and fingerless ones would be pointless as my hands would still get cold."

"Fingerless gloves are actually quite warm," he muttered as he pulled his off. "Here. You'll see."

She blinked at them as a tinge of pink spread across the bridge of her nose. She placed them on her hands before noticing that they were warm; well, she assumed they were warm in the first place since Tala was warming them. Though, her fingers didn't feel nearly as frozen as they had a few seconds before.

"Thanks, Tala. I appreciate it."

"Hn."

She giggled at his response to her thanks; he's always been like that. He'd never properly say you're welcome. He stared at her from an open eye as she messed with Shade Ookami. The girl was an enigma; he'd admit that much. He saw her flinch as she rubbed her back. It felt guilty -wait - what? When did Tala Valkov feel guilty about anything? Well, he had to put on an act anyway.

"Sorry."

"P-Pardon?" she squeaked.

Oh god. Did she just squeak? And why the hell did he think it was - cute? The Wolborg user was definitely going insane. There was no other reason for his thoughts lately.

"I said sorry for your back. Hadn't meant to hurt you that much," he said with a frown.

"Oh. No, its fine. I bruise easy too."

"You're a klutz then."

"Yep, I'm a klutz," she said, grinning at him. "Hey, let's go get something eat. I'm hungry."

"I know a place."

**/**

She casually sipped at her coffee as she watched all the people walk through the streets of Moscow. She hadn't realized they got this busy … then again not a lot of people walked past Balkov Abbey. The coffee warmed her though. She was happy for it. Not to mention, the food at the café was amazing. She'd have to come back to the café. At the moment, they were sitting at one of the outside tables of the place. They cleared their outside tables of snow and ice. Russians and their winter weather. She snickered.

"What's so funny?" asked Tala. He was sitting opposite of her.

"Ah, you people and your crazy weather," she replied.

"Russians don't take kind to insults, Pet. Remember that."

"Don't call me that," she snapped. "It's annoying. I'm not a pet. I'm a person. There's a difference."

"Not with you," he replied with a smirk.

She snarled at him before jumping over the table and tackling him out the chair. Good thing snow was soft. Unfortunately for her, he managed to pin her instead.

"Did you forget I'm stronger than you?" he growled. "You really are stupid."

"Takes one to no one," she spat back.

"I've heard better comebacks, Megan."

"Yeah, well, you're still an iceberg. Maybe you should go sink a ship."

He didn't know what possessed him to do it. Maybe he just wanted to shut her up; she was annoying him with all her stupid comebacks. When Megan felt dry, cracked lips on her own lips, her mind went blank. Yeah, blank. That never happens with the girl. Of course, her mind went blank - so her instincts took over. She kissed him back. Short, sweet and to the point not to mention it effectively shut her up. Tala stood quickly as soon as he realized his actions. He closed his eyes before taking a breath. The girl huffed as she licked her lips.

"I have to go," he told her. "I have training soon."

"Yeah," she said. "Okay. Bye."

**/**

When he got the abbey tunnels, Tala slammed his first into the wall. The impact cracked open the skin of his knuckles as they started to bleed. He didn't care though. What the hell was that? He hadn't meant – he hadn't meant to kiss her. He shut his eyes before taking a deep breath. It helped a little. He continued on his way to his room. He stopped when voices were heard. Ian was talking with Boris?

"Ah, Tala. There you are," Boris spoke as he spotted him.

"Not in the mood, Boris."

"Something happen with your little play thing?"

"What?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

"Very good. As according to plan, Kai has come to the abbey; however, I want the two of you to stop anybody that tries to come get him. Understood?"

"Yes sir," they said before saluting to him.

"Also, Tala …"

He stared at Boris.

"Make sure you get your knuckles to stop bleeding."

"Sir."

**/**

She had no idea for the reason of visiting Balkov Abbey. When her grandfather said it was pointless for her to continuing trying to help Boris plan, she had stopped coming. Her grandfather knew what he was doing. She peeked around the gates before noticing Ian and Tala talking to some people. Not only that, but Ian was battling the boy with the backwards baseball cap. Oh, it was the Bladebreakers. Silly Megan, how'd you not recognize them? She walked toward the group before appearing beside Tyson.

"What's going on?"

"Go away," Tala said. "Our business at the moment is of no concern to you."

She crossed her arms as she glared at him. Oh, so know he was treating her like an enemy. Tala glared back. Tyson and Ian looked between the two of them. The boys stared at each other in a confused state. Shrugging, they continued their battle. Tala broke their gaze as he placed a finger over his ear.

"Ah, your friend - Kai, was it? – is with us. He's been outside too long and is sick with a fever," Tala said to Tyson.

Ian picked up his blade while Tyson picked up his non-moving one. "Well, we want to see him then."

"Our medic ward states that nobody can see him until his fever is gone. I'll take you to him when he's feeling better."

Liar.

"I promise."

You're a damn good liar, Iceberg. The thoughts ran through Megan's mind as her eye twitched. She saw Kai's team mates leaving. She went to go after them until a hand on her upper arm stopped her. She turned to face familiar blue eyes.

"You lied to them."

"I was told too."

"Why?"

A smile flickered across his face. "That … I'm not allowed to tell you."

"And the kiss?!" she hissed in a whisper.

He paused as the smile fell. "I - I don't know. It wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did, Tala. Why?"

"I …" he let go of her. "Just go, Megan. We have a match to prepare for."

Her expression fell as she walked from the Abbey. She wasn't getting any answer from him. Tala walked into the abbey as to get the word from Boris about Kai officially. Unfortunately, Boris saw him and her in the courtyard during their confrontation.

**/**

"You were just supposed to gain her trust, Tala."

"I did. I am. I have," he spoke trying to find the right word. "What's the problem?"

"The problem, boy," sneered Boris as he got close to his face. "The problem is I have cameras all over this place with microphones. These microphones pick up even the smallest of wavelengths even _underground_."

The boy flinched. "I don't understand …"

"Of course you don't, Tala. I heard her ask you about a kiss."

He tensed. Boris heard that. Of course Boris heard that. He sees and hears everything. The walls had eyes and ears. Even the outside …

"It's nothing."

"Nothing," cackled Boris. "Nothing. I would have assumed you did it as an act. But, you couldn't answer her. Explain that."

"I was acting."

"Look at me when you speak with me."

Tala's eyes slid to look at him.

"What are you supposed to do?"

"Steal her bit-beast," he answered.

"How?"

"By crushing her spirit."

"Good," Boris said. "You can go. Also, Kai will be battling with you."

Tala's arm twitched. Kai … He stalked out of the room. Boris turned in his chair as he thought about the conversation. He grinned. Tala wasn't supposed to start falling for her, but from what he seen on her expression, she was the same way. Though, how would he lock away Tala's emotions so he could steal her bit-beast? His eyes lit up. Of course! Plus, if his plan with Kai failed, like he knew it would, this would be the best back-up plan. Oh glorious day!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Boris is a creep. I have time-skipped. But, honestly, the days I skipped was just them hanging out. It was kind of boring. And Tala's thoughts - well, they were in this chapter. Things he noticed from being around her. And this chapter is 7 pages long and almost 3,000 words. Ugh.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hey, I decided I'd update _Espionage _once again. As a treat to all my watchers. ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter. Yeah, this is what Tala keeps apologizing over - and is the reason he had to earn Megan's trust again. But, hey, we all have to start somewhere. Well, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 <strong>- Beginning of the End

She avoided it. She avoided it like the plague. Megan hadn't even paid attention to word of mouth about the tournament. She didn't want to hear about the lose of something precious. She didn't want to hear about Tala and the others. Most of her days had been spent in the hotel room with her hands over her ears. Not even Shadow could comfort her. She pulled the coat closer to her body as she tried to keep the hit in and cold out. After she learned of the whole fiasco with Kai, the 14 years old girl decided she'd go see what Boris had up his sleeve. Kai obviously didn't pan out like he had wanted him too. Friends tend to have a lot stronger bond than he realized. The wind blew as she held an arm over her face. A helicopter was landing at the stadium. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Boris couldn't even walk to his own stadium. He wasn't willing to freeze in the cold of Russia. She had been a lot closer to the stadium than she had realized. A lot closer.

"Ah, Megan, its nice to see you again."

His voice sent shivers down her spine. It sounded like a snake had disguised itself as a human. Boris smiled as he walked over to her. She flinched and took a few steps away from him. She wasn't going to act tough in his presence. He scared her, and she wanted to show the emotion through her body not on her face. He laughed as he saw her move away from him. She hit a wall before looking up. Spencer was behind her. Joy. He grabbed her so she couldn't move away. Her eyes flickered to Tala as he looked at her. She hadn't seen him since they day that Kai had stumbled into the Abbey. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong. Boris waved Spencer off as he let her go. Afterward, he walked into the stadium no doubt thinking she wasn't a threat. Megan stuck her tongue out at him as he walked away from her. Never turn your back on an enemy. She fixed her coat before glaring at the defending world championship team before her.

"Well, I do hope you _lose _your match with the Bladebreakers," she hissed. "You've been reigning champions long enough."

"Haven't seen you in a few days, but you've already pegged us as the bad guys," Tala commented. "I thought you knew us a bit better, Pet."

"Don't call me that," she said. "I had thought I known _you _better, Tala. But, you stole their bit-beasts. You stole their friends ... their family."

Tears slipped down her face as she realized they didn't care. They didn't care about breaking the bonds these bladers had worked so hard to build with their bit-beasts. She ran a hand through her hair before walking past the captain of the Demolition Boys. She had nothing else to say to them. They weren't going to listen to her anyway. Her eyes widened as she felt a hand grasp her wrist. She growled and winced as they tightened their grip. Her gaze hardened as she swung around to hit the person holding her. Tala grabbed her moving hand before stopping her in her place. Something was wrong. Nobody, not even him, should have such a lack of emotion on their face. She subconsciously heard Shadow whispering in the back of her mind. She ignored her beast though. She closed her eyes before yanking her hands from his grip. She hadn't noticed him wince slightly, but it hadn't stayed very long. He was trained to be emotionless, and Boris had him training harder than ever. Even if he didn't remember most of it.

"Do you treat your bit-beast as family?" he asked.

"Shadow's always been there for me. Why wouldn't I treat her as family? If I lost her, I wouldn't know what to do with myself." She clenched the bey in her hand as the bit chip glowed an opaque black as if comforting her. "Don't you feel a connection with Wolborg?"

Her question had caught him off guard. He vaguely noticed the others had moved into the stadium to prepare for their match against the Bladebreakers. Megan saw the spark of shock in his eyes from the question. He never thought about it she had come to that conclusion. Boris had taught them that bit-beasts were weapons and only weapons. Nobody in that place had realized bit-beasts grew and became stronger with their blader. She stepped closer to him before laying the palm of her hand on his cheek. He shivered from her touch, hands cold from the weather, before he jerked backwards and glared at her.

"Don't touch me. Don't act like we are friends. We never were friends."

Her body suddenly felt colder as she heard those words. They weren't friends. They were never friends. She couldn't quite grasp his words. Her eyes sprung from the ground as she heard him click Wolborg into place. He pointed the launcher at her before firing his bey. She stood still as blood began flowing from the cut on her cheek. Wolborg danced around her before stopping to spin in front of his owner. Megan broke as her question came out, "What do you mean we're not friends?"

"I had been trained that emotions were a weakness. I was acting. I was pretty good, wasn't I?" he asked as he smirked at her. "I had you fooled."

"W-Why?" she choked out.

"Revenge," he answered. "You humiliated me those few weeks ago."

"B-But ... I hadn't meant ..."

"Then I suppose you should stop me," he said before Wolborg when after her.

A black bey smashed against the white bey as Shade Ookami pushed the bey away. Megan huffed as she realized that he wasn't hesitating. Tala was going to attack her. He had been fooling her. He didn't care. He wasn't her friend. He - her breath hitched remembering that last day she saw him. The park ... and the cafe. Her bey wobbled slightly as she lost her concentration. A dog-like purr resounded throughout her mind snapping her to the present. Wolborg smashed into Shade Ookami without mercy. Shards of the bey were being peeled away. She gasped as the pain Shadow was feeling transferred to her. She had to do something. Something ... anything. Her eyes traveled to the trees.

"Shadow, the trees!"

Her bey shot toward them before disappearing in the shadows. Tala growled. He hadn't expected her to use the trees as coverage. He hadn't thought of that possibility. He needed to brush up on his "anything goes in a beybattle 101". Wolborg followed without much order from Tala. Megan stared at him as she kept in contact with her beast. Strong bonds came in handy when you were in trouble (and you couldn't see your bey). She didn't understand. Her heart felt like it was breaking as she thought about it more and more. She didn't understand. She _couldn't_ understand.

"Tala," she spoke. "I don't think you were acting that day you ki -"

She trailed off as she saw the look he was giving her. She took a step back as she saw that look. He was angry, but she wasn't so sure he was angry with her. No matter what he said, he was never truly emotionless. Nothing can change the human heart. She shook her head as she heard a clang. Shade Ookami was pushed out of the trees as Wolborg came spinning after her. The bey slammed into the helicopter. Tala smirked. She wasn't fighting back. It was kind of getting boring.

"Are you going to let your bey be broken apart bit by bit?" he asked. "Why won't you fight back?"

"I -"

"Emotions are weak and useless," he said after hearing her pause. "You won't fight back. I'm not your friend. I never was."

He walked toward her before lifting her chin to look at him. Her eyes were glassy with tears. Wolborg spun in circles around a wobbling Shade Ookami. Shadow whined in the back of her owner's mind. The girl didn't react as he kissed her. She had gone limp which caused her bey to wobble even more. She felt him smirk against her lips before leaning his forehead against her's before she snapped out of her stupor at Shadow's cry. She pushed him away before she fell to the ground. When had her bey stopped? Her eyes widened at a realization. Shadow - she couldn't feel Shadow. Her heart broke even more as tears fell onto the snow.

"You ... give her back," she whispered. "Why would you take her? She's family. She's my friend!"

She was given no reply as Wolborg was called back to him. She heard the snow crunch beneath him as he walked into the stadium. She grabbed some snow into her hands. It was cold, and she was freezing. She didn't care though. Shadow was gone. She couldn't hear her anymore. Megan didn't like the deafening silence. She picked up the broken bey before walking to into the stadium. She leaned against the wall before sliding to the floor. Something wasn't right. She clenched Shade Ookami to her chest as she staggered to a standing position. Something wasn't right.

"Boris, what did you do to them? To Tala?" she muttered.


End file.
